Changing European immigration

More than 133 thousand immigrants arrived in the Netherlands in 2001, 23 percent more than five years before. The figure is only very slightly higher than in 2000: 554 immigrants more, an increase of less than half a percent.

Number of immigrants

Fewer immigrants from Germany

Just over 43 percent of the total number of immigrants come from Europe: 57 thousand people. Most of these immigrants from Europe come from Germany. The number fell noticeably to 8.2 thousand in 2001, a decrease of 13 percent compared with 1996.

Immigrants from Europe by country of origin

A similar trend is noticeable for immigrants from Turkey and Belgium. The number of immigrants from Turkey fell to 6.4 thousand in 2001, those from Belgium to 5.6 thousand people.

The number of immigrants from the United Kingdom on the other hand grew quite strongly, to 7.9 thousand, nearly two thousand more people than in 1996. There was also a considerable flow of immigrants from Eastern Europe especially the former Soviet Union and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Many labour migrants from EU

Most European immigrants, just over 35 thousand, come from EU countries. They mostly come to the Netherlands for purposes of work and family reunion. Non-EU European immigrants often come for asylum or family formation.

Country of birth of immigrants from the EU and other European countries, 2001

Many immigrants from Belgium born in the Netherlands

The 57 thousand European immigrants include more than twelve thousand people born in the Netherlands. Most of these immigrants who return to the Netherlands come from one of the EU countries. This is especially the case for immigrants from Belgium: more than half of them were born in the Netherlands.